Heartbeat Out of Time
by scubarang
Summary: Ginny finds her heart is broken by her forbidden lover. How will she find a way to carry on? Can he be redeemed of his actions? D/G


A/N: Thanks to Rowan for her beta work on this.

Warnings:character death and some gore.

I disclaim

* * *

HEARTBEAT OUT OF TIME

"_Have you fallen into Muggle ways so deeply that you think you can kill me with that?" His voice was cold with disdain and thick with what he would never reveal to the titian haired beauty. He loved her. She was perhaps the only thing he had ever felt anything for in this life. But his life had left him with no choice but to banish that love from his future. _

Draco awoke from what he thought was perhaps more than just a dream. Was it a sign pointing to where he needed to go next? He knew things had been getting too complicated and dangerous for him and Ginny but he didn't want to lose her. But he found himself unable to explain any of these thoughts to her.

It wasn't just that he had been raised with the Malfoy penchant for not displaying, or welcoming, any emotions; it was that if he gave in this one time he would give in again at some point. To give in meant that many people would perish. Not just himself, but so many more. He had never done anything selfless in his life; perhaps he wasn't even allowing himself to accept that this act was selfless. He only knew that because he cared for her, he was throwing her to the winds of fate; the destiny that wouldn't allow them to be together in this life.

He wondered if this lifetime was really worth living at this point. He knew he was a cold-blooded machine, but there was no other choice. It had been this path or death. He chose to kill rather than be killed. He had ended up becoming a monster due to this weakness.

Realising now that he had chosen slow death rather than a relatively quick one after some torture, he frowned. What was he living for? His family had died regardless of his actions. He couldn't be with the one he loved. He despised himself and everything he stood for. In fact, he didn't stand for anything. He didn't agree with the Dark Lord's ranting and he couldn't join the Order. There really wasn't anything to keep him here.

Somehow during his time with her, he had become apathetic about life. He must have been that way all along, or this would have never happened. If he had cared more he couldn't have been trapped by the Dark Lord. If he had been more involved, he could have switched sides when she begged him to. But he wanted the easy way. Falling in love with her had been easy. Accepting that that is exactly what had happened to him had been so difficult.

Now, at the end of his life he wanted to leave her with something. She would want to know that she had made some difference in his life; just not enough. Not in the ways that would save him this time around. He knew they would be together again. His soul knew her soul the instant they kissed the first time. It was inevitable they would fall in love, just as it was inevitable that they could not live this life together.

**X**

"_Draco, please join with us and save yourself. If they find you here in the safe house they will think the worst and try to kill you." Ginny had tears in her shimmering dark honey eyes but she held the knife steady against his chest._

"_I cannot join you. I should never have been with you. You're not worth my time now and I'm only here to make sure that you don't mistakenly think you should try to contact me again." His frigid words were cutting into her heart and he could see the light slipping from her eyes. "Forget this ever happened and forget about m-" his words were cut off as a redheaded blur shot into Ginny's room and leapt at the pair standing so close together. _

_Ginny was pushed into Draco and she felt the blade slip home. Her hand burned where she held the grip firmly unable to stop it from cutting into his chest. _

_It felt as if time had slowed and she thought to how she had found the brightly shining knife sitting on her bedside table just this morning. She had never seen it before and it had captured her attention. It shone with an almost inner light and had odd carvings on the handle. One word was all Ginny understood there, 'Nevermore'. _

_She tried to ignore the knife but it kept calling her to pick it up throughout the day. She had been holding it when Draco had Apparated into her room just a few minutes ago. Now it was circling around his heart and carving a morbid scar into his perfect torso. Her mind was reeling and horrified and she was crying as time sped up again._

"_Ron! Get mum! We have to save him. Hurry!" Ron was staring at Ginny as she knelt over the blond laying on her floor in a quickly forming pool of crimson evidence of what had happened. He was pale and turning green at the sight of what his little sister had done to the Death Eater. There was a gaping hole in the chest of his former school nemesis where his heart had been. There was gore and blood but no heart. _

_Ginny seemed oblivious to the fact that was clearly evident and was lightly slapping him and telling him to wake up. She was declaring her love for him and Ron was horrified more at what he was hearing now than at the corpse laying at his feet._

_As Ginny's mother and Bill and Charlie ran in the room they saw Ginny kissing a bloody blond man kneeling in a pool of what was obviously his blood. Molly rushed to Ginny and pulled her away from the body while Bill checked to body for any possible curses, unsure as to how he had gotten past the wards on the house._

"_No, mum. He needs help. He wants to be with me and I can't leave him. Please heal him, mum. I'll take care of everything. He won't cause trouble, he loves me." Ginny's words were anguished and desperate and nearing hysteria by the end of her entreaty. Molly led her out of the room and looked to Ron intimating she wanted a full report on what exactly had happened here._

**X**

My dearest Ginevra,

This letter will find you with a broken heart I know. I can give you only one thing in this life; that which no one else ever had, that which no one else ever wanted, my heart. You already have it though I never told you. I tell you now that I am yours forever more. And it will have to be forever more because in this life our time has passed and I will be gone by the time this reaches you.

Please keep this with you and protect it. It must survive until it is your time to pass; for we will need it in the next life.

You may not believe that Draco Malfoy believes in reincarnation, but I know we have had many lives together already. I want the next one to be the one where we end up together; I want you to be my wife and the mother of our children.

You have saved my heart in this life by showing it that it lived. Please save it again by keeping it with you until you join me.

Live your life and be happy. But keep me with you at all times, as I keep you with me where I go to now.

Forgive me and remember us.

Truly Yours in All Ways and For Always –

Draco Lucius Malfoy

The parchment slipped from Ginny's grasp and floated slowly to the floor of her new room. The room she had been in previously had been turned into a weapons room so she never had to enter into it again.

It had been six months since she had killed Draco Malfoy. She had withered and died that day along with him. Her family had assumed he had come after her to kill or kidnap her and her crime had been considered self-defence in wartime. She never spoke to anyone about what had happened that day and only Ron's story was given as evidence.

Ginny rarely spoke to anyone now. The members of The Order were on edge around her wondering how she had fallen in love with a Death Eater and if she had possibly betrayed them in any way. They wondered how it was that she had carved out his heart and banished it with no sign that she had even known she had done it. She had not noticed the cavern where his heart had been and just kept asking her mother to heal him, unaware he had died as soon as the blade entered his chest.

Ron had been a bit fuzzy but had seen clearly enough what happened. He left a few weeks after and found a different safe house to live in; clearly not feeling comfortable being around Ginny any longer.

So it was with surprise but not any sense of fear or worry that she picked up the parchment and small box that lay on her bedside table when she woke up today.

After reading the letter maybe ten times over she felt a sort of numbness sink into her heart that had mostly been dead these last six months anyway. She looked to the small box and apprehensively picked it up. She didn't fear any curse though she didn't know how it could have gotten into her room. Somehow Draco had always known how to get past the wards at Grimmauld Place. Ginny always assumed in was his Black bloodline that allowed him into the house.

The box seemed to be made of a dark crystal that was almost black. Not solid enough to be obsidian and it was warm as a crystal or stone should not be. On the top of the box a small dragon was carved into the crystal surrounded by flame. She ran her fingers over the design relishing in the rush of memories it had brought, memories of their short time together.

Ginny had never thought she might have any feelings other than animosity towards the school bully. Now whatever they had shared remained only in her memories and this little box. Not feeling strong enough to face what might lie inside the box, she set it on her table and lay down on her bed flicking her wand and dousing the lights. Exhaustion took over her and she soon was asleep.

Ginny shot up in her bed grabbing her wand out of reflex. She twisted her head around trying to figure out what had awoken her. It was dark in the room so she knew it must be in the late hours of night still. Then she heard it, _thump-thump_. She quietly searched the room, _thump-thump,_ there it was again.

Ginny was frozen not knowing if she dared move and make a noise. Although whatever it was must already have heard her move when she woke up. She leaned over and looked under her bed, _thump-thump._ Ginny jumped despite herself and began to frantically look around her room. _Thump-thump,_ Ginny jumped out of bed and jerked open the closet door but it was as empty as ever. _Thump-thump,_ Ginny nearly shouted _lumos_ in her now rampant fear. She was sweating and shaking and could hardly hold her wand straight.

"Who's there?" She flicked her wand to ignite all the candles in the room and fully illuminate her surroundings. _Thump-thump,_ Ginny jerked her head in the direction of the small box on her table. _Thump-thump,_ it was definitely coming from the box. What had Draco done to her? She was going mad. _Thump-thump,_ tears were spilling down her cheeks as she approached the box. _Thump-thump,_ she reached her hand towards it and picked it up tentatively. _Thump-thump,_ she almost dropped it when she felt the box thump in her hand in time with the sound.

Ginny held the box in her palms carefully. It was warm and beating in time with her heart. She traced the carvings again and whispered, "Draco" so softly even she barely heard it. "My Dragon." Her voice was tight with emotion anticipating what might be waiting for her in the box. She knew he had sent her something from beyond the grave. It was his style to be dramatic and mysterious and she wondered what he had placed on the box to allow her to open it.

She thought back trying to remember any special words or phrases they might have shared or something that Draco may have made a point of her noticing. As the box beat in her hand in time with her own heart she thought back to the day that she cut out the heart of her one true love. She recalled how she had been mesmerised by the blade that had seemed enchanted to do the task it had done.

"Nevermore." Ginny whispered the blades name and smiled slightly knowing that Poe had been a favourite author of Draco's. He had been a wizard but made his life with the muggles as many artists and authors have done over the centuries.

The lid gave a small click and slowly slid aside to reveal the contents within. Tears filled Ginny's eyes as she realised what was in the tiny box. She pulled out the delicate silver chain with the warm ruby coloured heart hanging from it. The heart thumped warmly in her hand and Ginny sobbed knowing he had found a way to give her his heart forever more.

As Ginny draped the necklace over her head she felt a wave of warmth and peace wash over her. She felt like she was cradled in his arms as she had only had the time to do a few times in their forbidden relationship.

The enchanted gem sat on her heart and she felt it as it beat in time with her lonely soul. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks as she grinned with a smile she had not used since the last time she had been with him in their meeting place. He had kissed her with passion and what she realised now was affection. No, he had never used words or even affectionate gestures with her. But he had shown her love with every kiss they had ever shared.

Everything that happened that fateful day six months ago made complete sense now. He had sent the charmed knife and forced her to face him with it with his cruel words. He had set up the whole situation knowing he would be forced into becoming a killing machine soon. He had given his life knowing they would never be able to have a real relationship and that he would be forced to kill her and all of her friends and family at some point. He had given his life to ensure their destiny and in the process had become not only her confirmed soul mate, but her everlasting hero.


End file.
